Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna now says that the party leader Raila Odinga's supporters played a big role in his January 30 mock presidential inauguration.
In an interview on Radio Jambo Wednesday, Sifuna revealed that the Uhuru Park event was to a larger extent meant to please the opposition's National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters, after months of publicity.
He pointed out that Kenyans had grown anxious over the alliance's promise that it would inaugurate the former Prime Minister should his ambitions in the August 8 presidential race flop, with the situation getting to an extent where the leader was being pressured to keep his promise.
''It all started when we publicized the ''Wakiapisha Tunaapisha'' slogan and after the election, Kenyans became restless and eagerly waiting for the implementation of the slogan,'' he said.
''It got to a point where both Odinga and his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka were now being ambushed and offered bibles by our supporters, with others offering to administer the oath. As a result, Odinga decided to get it over and done with,'' he added.
The event was, however, skipped by Musyoka and the remaining NASA leader's; Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetangula, leaving Odinga to go it alone.
It was administered by Ruaraka lawmaker and High Court lawyer Tom Kajwang' in the presence of thousands of opposition supporters.